Once Gone: a fast paced mystery

Once Gone by Blake Pierce is the first book in the Riley Paige series. When women are turning up dead in rural Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, the FBI are stumped. With a serial killer on the loose, they know there is only one agent who could possibly crack the case: Special Agent Riley Paige. But after an encounter with the last serial killer, Riley is on paid leave, suffering from PTSD. When the FBI calls, reluctantly asking for her help, Riley comes aboard, needing to battle her own demons the only way she knows how: catching the bad guys. As she chases every clue, she realizes that the killer is far more twisted than she thought and when another woman disappears, she is in a race against time. Pushing herself to her limit, putting her job on the line and losing her fragile hold on reality, she refuses to quit. Will she find the woman before it’s too late? Will the killer slip away once again? Can she catch him before she completely snaps herself? 

I’ve been a reader of Blake Pierce for quite awhile and usually they are good thrillers. However, lately, I’ve noticed that the stories are becoming formulaic. Once again, a strong woman is the only brains in law enforcement, the only one who can catch a killer and the men who stand in her way. While I enjoy Blake Pierce’s books, they are fast and engaging reads, but it’s easy to figure out The mystery formula of “arresting one wrong guy after another and the men rushing to close the case despite the objections of the main character” gets old fast. Overall, I enjoyed it. I was engaged. And there was a nice hook at the end to intrigue the reader to get the next book. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Riley and her teenage daughter, April. And Riley’s struggles with PTSD and the memories of her last case felt very real. If you haven’t read any of Blake Pierce’s books, I recommend checking them out. They are entertaining, even if you begin to sense a pattern in her books. 

Once Gone is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

A Trace of Death: a kidnapping mystery

A Trace of Death by Blake Pierce is the first book in the Keri Locke mystery series. Keri Locke is a detective with the Missing Persons division of the LAPD. She is haunted by her own daughter’s abduction, years before, never to be found. Still obsessed with finding her daughter, Keri buries her grief into her cases. When a routine call from a worried mother strikes a cord with Keri. Even though the teenager, Ashley, has only been missing for two hours, something in the mother’s voice tells Keri to investigate. Ashley is the daughter of a prominent California senator and is hiding secrets, as teenagers do. But Keri feels there is something more than just a teenager keeping secrets. When all the evidence points to a runaway, Keri is ordered off the case. But Keri won’t give up. Despite the pressures from her superiors, the media, and all trails growing cold, Keri refuses to let go. She knows that she only has 48 hours for any chance to bring Ashley home safe and sound. Will she find Ashley in time? 

A Trace of Death is a fast-paced thriller which I read in one day. It was an easy read without overly complicated clues and misdirections. I have read several of Blake Pierce’s mysteries and while A Trace of Death wasn’t as exciting as the others, I was still hooked and thrilled as I read. Keri is a typical cop who is tormented by personal issues that haunt her but makes her a brilliant detective. I particularly enjoyed the camaraderie between Keri and her partner, Ray, a former boxer turned cop. There were a few exchanges between the two that I laughed at and could see happening between friends. And there is the typical superior who can’t stand the troubled but brilliant female detective and has to eat humble pie later when Keri is proven correct. Overall, I enjoyed A Trace of Death. It was a nice, easy afternoon read. I liked the fact that I could read and enjoy the mystery without getting a headache from the over-the-top and difficult to read herrings that I’ve experienced in other mystery thrillers. If you enjoy mystery thrillers, you will enjoy A Trace of Death. 

A Trace of Death is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Before He Kills: a great mystery with interesting characters

Before He Kills is the first book in the Mackenzie White series by Blake Pierce. A woman is found murdered in a cornfield of Nebraska. Strung up on a pole, the victim of a deranged killer. It doesn’t take long to realize that a serial killer is on the loose. Detective Mackenzie White is a young, tough, smarter than the aging, chauvinistic men on her local force. She finds herself called in to help solve it. As much as the other officers would hate to admit it but they need her. As she begins, she realizes that this case could be an impossible riddle, a riddle that she or the police force has ever seen. As the case heats up, Mackenzie finds herself battling her own demons as the hunt for this sadistic killer takes her to the darkest places of her mind and memories. Will she find the killer before he strikes again? Or will the psychological warfare inside her head be her downfall? 

Once again, Blake Pierce did not disappoint. Before He Kills is my third book by Pierce and it was a fast-paced, hold on to your seat mystery with a great leading lady. From the get-go, Mackenzie is a strong, intelligent detective but underneath her bravado is a flawed and broken woman who is haunted by the memories of her father’s murder. She is determined to find the killer before he kills again, even risking her career and her life to stop the madman in his tracks. The story is filled with other great characters like her reluctant partner, Walter Porter, to the police chief, Clark Nelson, who hate what Mackenzie represents but can’t help but admire her skills and tenacity. At the center is a great mystery that didn’t drag on with too many twists and false leads. If you love murder mysteries and need a weekend read, I highly recommend Before He Kills. 

Before He Kills is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

If She Saw: a quick read but decent thriller

If She Saw by Blake Pierce is the second book in the Kate Wise series. Semi-retired and legendary FBI agent Kate Wise is enjoying life. She is spending time with her granddaughter and the blossoming relationship with her boyfriend when she is asked to take on another case when two couples are found brutally murdered in their homes with no motive. The only clue is a piece of a child’s blanket that is found at each crime scene. As Kate and her partner, Special Agent DeMarco, follow the clues, they realize they are on a race against time as the killer may strike again at any time. Are the victims chosen at random? Are they connected somehow? What is the meaning of the piece of cloth left behind?

If She Saw is a fast-paced thriller which will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Although I found the “false” suspects to be a bit too obvious, I enjoyed reading as Kate and DeMarco take every road that opens with each new clue and suspect. Kate does make one decision that I didn’t like and thought why she didn’t just say “I’ll start in the morning?” It is a decision she later regrets and wishes she did say just that. But I feel this makes Kate human. How many times have we made decisions in a split second only to realize it could have waited?  I look forward to reading the next titles in this series. There are currently seven books in this series. If you haven’t read the first book, If She Knew, I highly recommend picking it up. If you enjoy mystery thrillers, I recommend If She Saw.

If She Saw

is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

If She Knew: a great, face-paced murder mystery

If She Knew by Blake Pierce is the first in the Kate Wise mystery series. Kate Wise is a 55-year-old woman who is a year into retirement after 31 years with the FBI. After the daughter of a friend is murder, Kate is drawn back in to find the killer as a favor to her friend. She knows she doesn’t have the same authority now as a retired agent, but she can’t turn down a grieving mother’s request. She quickly learns there is more to the victim than what it first appears. And she chases down new leads, she finds herself feeling the familiar rush and yet worrying about how this will affect her new life as she becomes a grandmother and is considering dating after the tragic death of her husband. The case leads to the victim’s close circle of friends, Kate must find out what secrets the group held before it’s too late. Will she find the killer in time?

If She Knew is a great mystery book! I was able to read the book in about 3 hours. Not because it was a simple read but because it held my attention. With each page turn, more was added to the mystery and I eagerly wanted to see who the killer was. I found Kate to be real as she struggles with how she defines her life now. She longed for the adrenaline of her job with the FBI but she also considered her daughter, her new grandchild and her own personal desires outside the job. The book was fast-paced, with great twists and turns and a shocking end like any great mystery should have. I highly recommend If She Knew!

If She Knew

is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook